Living in Key West
7 ways to move here
Why would you leave?
North to Miami? Nope
The things no one tells Key West homeowners
Hidden charms and frustrating secrets
Locals’ tips for island homes
Living in Key West | Part 1: The things no one tells you
Ranger Ed is on our roof playing whack-a-mole with the leaks in our solar panels. That's not a place people of a certain age ought be; yet, here we are. Living the dream of home ownership on a mystical, magical tropical island at the end of the road. A place where,...
Living in Key West | Part 2: Coping with grills and termites
Crikey! How could I forget the island's assault on our outdoor grills? But I did, as a dozen barbecuing cooks reminded me in short order. "Spot on," said a former Floridian, "but you didn't even get into the average lifespan of an outdoor grill." He wasn't alone in...
Living in Key West: Part 3: Cat hair, garbage cans, fresh water conchs
It doesn’t take a degree in demographics and a passion for data dumps to know when Key West’s snowbirds arrive. Lights in that once dark house come on at dusk. There are peals of laughter across the fence line and the rumble of interesting conversations of which I can...
What’s it really like to live here?
Living in Key West: Let’s treat each other gently
The humidity this morning in the Shenandoah Valley is 47 percent, which Accuweather says is "ideal." Are they freaking nuts? Get me back to Key West, give me 20 points more and I might agree. Ranger Ed and I have been off-island for a week, visiting family scattered...
Key West parking stickers | The coveted island badge you just have to have
Let's get the headline out of the way first: If you're reading this on Saturday, Oct. 30, in the Key West Citizen, you have one more day before your residential parking sticker expires. Technically. You've got two choices: Panic and head to social media for an outrage...
Buying a Key West home? Wind and flood insurance costs could change your plans
Three things come at a premium when you're living in Key West: An X flood zone, which until Oct. 1, had meant your house wasn't as likely to flood and therefore the mortgage company wouldn't require flood insurance; parking because there isn't any in Key West; and...
Get those chairs and tables off Key West sidewalks
Let me get this off my chest: I hate tables and chairs cluttering Key West sidewalks. I'd throw a profanity-laced screech right here, but my mother would frown since she always considered bad words to be useless filler for lazy minds. I fantasize about knocking the...
Covid cancels your Key West plans? Pack up for Fort Zach
We'd weathered the will-it-won't-it forecasts of Tropical Storm Fred and made it to the window between never-came-here Tropical Storm Grace and we were headed to Snipes. Then came the text: "I am so very sorry but your captain just tested positive for Covid. And my...
5 (slightly) annoying Key West things and how to get over them
Let's get this out of the way first. What with climate change, Covid-19, and a global plethora of crumbling cultures and governments, not to mention that Amazon Prime's two-day delivery guarantee is now akin to "someday, for sure, but definitely not today," I really...